Symptoms:

• Fish has difficulty swimming, will either float at the top or have difficulty reaching the surface to breathe
• Floating fish may have a swollen stomach and might appear to be dead

What is it?

Fish all have a special organ called a swim bladder which helps them regulate their position in the water. When this organ is too short or is swollen, fish

How did it get there?

Swim bladder disorder is caused by overfeeding, or lack of variety in your fish's diet. When your fish seems to slide along the bottom and struggles to reach the surface, their swim bladder is too short. When they float and struggle to swim deeper it is because their swim bladder is too short and swollen.

Treatment

While some fish will recover on their own, the first order of business is to either feed them less, or vary their diet more. Another method is the same as when a fish has constipation. Fast your fish for a day or two and then attempt to feed them the inside of a cooked peeled pea. Make sure the pea is in small enough pieces for your betta to eat. If your betta refuses to eat the pea, then fast for another day or two and try again. Do this for a week or two, alternating fasting and peas until your fish is back to normal.

Prevention

• Since overfeeding is one of the main causes of SBD, feeding your fish less and removing any uneaten food after 5 mins will help prevent it. If it was caused by a lack of variation in your bettas food, make sure you are feeding them two or three foods such as pellets, flakes, or live/freeze dried/frozen foods such as bloodworms for treats.